As part of its ninth annual Academic and Creative Excellence (ACE) Festival, EMU held its 17th annual Authors’ Reception and Award Presentation on Thursday. The ceremony, hosted by the Provost’s Office in Old Commons Grounds (University Commons 177), celebrated the university’s Excellence in Teaching Award winners.

The awards honor three outstanding educators who exemplify excellence in teaching across four dimensions: impact on students, effective teaching practices, subject knowledge, and continual growth. This year’s recipients are:

• Dr. Ryan Good (professor or associate professor category)
• Dr. Kathryn Howard-Ligas (assistant professor or instructor category)
• Kevin Carini (adjunct faculty category)

Dr. Ryan Good
Associate professor of urban studies and director of the EMU Washington Semester

Professor Good’s teaching extends far beyond the classroom. He invites students into the lived realities of Washington D.C., helping them critically engage issues of race, space, and inequality. His deep knowledge of the region, combined with intentional course design, creates transformative learning experiences. Students describe “eureka moments” that reshape how they understand the world and their place in it. Ryan is reflective in his teaching, constantly refining his approach, and deeply committed to his students’ academic, professional, and personal growth. Simply put, he is the heart of the program.

“Not only does he work hard to prepare lessons that get students to think critically about what they are seeing in the city, he brings the city to them,” a colleague wrote. “They visit key organizations and events so that they can experience the real D.C. and gain deep insights about this city’s issues and how residents are overcoming them.”

“Ryan is enthusiastic about Washington and all the lessons it has to offer young minds,” another colleague wrote. “He loves this place. And he helps students to fall for it as well. A good number of our alums end up staying here afterwards or returning at a later point to live and work here.”

“Ryan would be the first to say that teaching and learning is a dance, and he is only a partner in their process, but I would say that he lays down the right tune and tempo and steps for them to succeed,” wrote another.

Dr. Kathryn Howard-Ligas
Assistant professor of psychology

Students consistently speak to Professor Howard-Ligas’s dynamic presence in the classroom. Her ability to balance interactive learning with deep disciplinary knowledge makes her courses both engaging and accessible. Drawing on her background in theater, she brings energy and clarity to complex psychological concepts. More importantly, she is intentional about connection, ensuring students feel supported, seen, and able to succeed.

“I appreciate the ways Kathryn connects with her students and ensures they have the support they need,” a colleague wrote. “Kathryn has been a great addition to the psychology department and has felt like a steady presence during all the transitions that the psychology department has endured.”

“Dr. Ligas is the most energetic teacher I have ever come across,” a student wrote. “Early morning classes are not for the weak but she speaks with such enthusiasm that it keeps you engaged throughout the class. And I genuinely love how she makes us do a ton of group activities, which to me, are a great way to learn. She also has great mastery over psychology concepts and clears all confusion and doubts with absolute clarity.”

Kevin Carini
Adjunct faculty in natural sciences

Students describe Professor Carini as deeply caring, engaging, and committed to their success. Even in challenging moments, he meets students with understanding and encouragement. His classroom is one of respect and energy, where learning physics becomes interactive, creative, and even joyful. Whether incorporating students into problem-solving or bringing humor into complex concepts, he creates an environment where students feel both challenged and supported.

“He takes time to listen and actually wants to see us succeed,” one student wrote. “In the classroom, he always incorporates the students into learning by writing his own problems with our names in them or making silly noises while crossing out variables to keep us interested and focused. He brings a positive and enthusiastic attitude to the classroom and EMU.”

In addition to the teaching awards, Dr. Tynisha Willingham, provost and vice president of academic affairs, recognized three faculty members who reached significant milestones at EMU this year:

• Dr. Hongtao Li has been awarded tenure and promoted to associate professor
• Dr. Timothy Seidel has been promoted to full professor
• Dr. Kristopher Schmidt has been promoted to full professor

Student writing awards

The ceremony recognized recipients of ���ѱ�’s First-Year Writing Awards, given to first-year students for their “excellent research papers.” The recipients are:

• First place: Ash Dixon for “The Environmental and Economic Effects of Fast Fashion”
• Second place: Monica Ehrenfels for “Assessing the 15-Minute City: Walkability in Modern Urban Spaces”
• Third place (tie): Malia Yoder for “Protecting our Forests: The Fight Against Deforestation” and Joshua Henkel for “AI Among Students”

Student academic awards 

The winners of EMU’s student academic awards were also announced at the event. Dr. Michael Horst, dean of Behavioral, Health and Natural Sciences, and the Rev. Dr. Sarah Ann Bixler, dean of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, presented the awards.

Behavioral, Health and Natural Sciences

• The Judy H. Mullet Award for Psychology Internship Excellence: Hollyn Miller
• The Galen R. Lehman Award for Outstanding Achievement in Research in Psychology: Lauren Kauffman and Leah Frankenfield
• Outstanding Second-Year Biology Student: Malachi Peachey-Stoner
• Outstanding Senior Biology Student: Maria Longenecker
• Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research: Maria Longenecker
• Natural Sciences Award for Exceptional Service: Sophia Nguyen and Dulce Shenk Zeager
• Outstanding First-Year Chemistry Student: Lisa Zimmerman and Mara Zimmerman
• Outstanding Senior Chemistry Student: Ethan Neufeld 
• Outstanding Senior in Engineering: Levi Stutzman
• Outstanding Senior Environmental Science Student: Madelynn Hamm and Jenna Oostland
• Outstanding Senior in Computer Science: Rebekah Copeland
• Outstanding Senior in Mathematics: Katie Tanous

Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences

Music

• Outstanding Student in Music: Naomi Kratzer and Eli Stoll
• Excellence in Musical Leadership: Jacob Nissley

Business and Leadership

• Outstanding Business Administration Senior: Sarah Prroj
• Outstanding Business Analytics Senior: Erik Wilkinson
• Outstanding Accounting Senior: Guadalupe Tenorio Ramirez
• Outstanding Achievement Award: Fadi Michael
• Outstanding Marketing Senior: Zazkia De la Vega
• Exceptional Research in Business and Leadership: Roumany Sefin
• Exceptional Service Award: Zazkia De la Vega
• Exceptional Leadership Award: Ben Knutsson

Center for Justice and Peacebuilding

• CatiAdele Slater for the dedicated organizing work as a graduate assistant, particularly the D.C. field trip
• Hannah Gilman for the innovative work advancing peacebuilding and conflict transformation tools in education through your practicum
• Toya Fernandez for the innovative work on restorative justice and racial healing, particularly bringing the Sankofa Circles to EMU
• Mercy Francis-Harris for your dedicated, thoughtful and quality work in all your classes
• Tyler Stanley for the dedicated work developed in all your classes, particularly PAX 509

Undergraduate Teacher Education

• Virginia Scholars Award in Undergraduate Teacher Education: Arelys Martinez Fabian

Authors’ Reception

The event showcased faculty and student scholarly works published since Jan. 1, 2025. Featured authors included:

Faculty

Ann Schaeffer, associate professor of nursing; James M. Yoder, professor of biology; Bryce Van Vleet, assistant professor of psychology; Mary Ann Zehr, assistant professor of rhetoric and composition; Wendell J. Shank, instructor of Spanish; Carol Grace Hurst, associate professor of social work; David F. Evans, professor of history and intercultural studies; Jacob Alan Cook, assistant professor of Christian ethics; Doug Graber Neufeld, professor of biology; Kathryn Mansfield, adjunct faculty for Center for Justice and Peacebuilding; Stephanie Day Powell, assistant professor of Hebrew bible; Timothy Seidel, associate professor of community and international development; Mark Metzler Sawin, professor of history; Debbi DiGennaro, instructor of social work; Heike Peckruhn, associate professor of religious studies; Jeff Copeland, professor of biology; Paula Ditzel Facci, assistant professor of peacebuilding; Dr. Cherelle Johnson, instructor of business and leadership; Benjamin Bergey, associate professor of music; Mary Sprunger, professor of history; Daniel Showalter, professor of mathematics; Benjamin J. Guerrero, assistant professor of music; and Steven David Johnson, professor of Visual and Communication Arts.

Students

Ash Dixon, first-year psychology major; Monica Ehrenfels, first-year music major; Joshua Henkel, first-year sociology major; and Malia Yoder, first-year natural sciences major; as well as the authors and artists of The Phoenix (2025), which was edited by Alexis Lewis and Zoey Mongold.

First-year student Monica Ehrenfels and junior Micah Wenger, both music and peacebuilding majors, provided music for the authors’ reception.

Photos by Aric Berg and Jon Styer/At Ease Design & Consulting

The EMU Washington Semester program started off in the fall of 1976 as a “high-risk proposition,” recalls Phil Baker-Shenk ’79.  

“It was a high risk for the college, a high risk for us individual students, and certainly a high risk for (program founder and director) Nelson Good ’68 and Arden Shank, who staffed it,” said Baker-Shenk, one of the first students in the yearlong program (then known as the Washington Study-Service Year or WSSY) from 1976-77. “It was a high risk all around, and yet people with good ideas decided to plunge in, take that risk, and make it happen.”

Fifty years later, that big gamble has paid off.

Alumni of the urban studies program—the only such program offered at Anabaptist-affiliated institutions—credit it with giving them improved professional confidence, greater clarity about career direction, more comfort in working with people different than they are, and an increased awareness of systemic injustices.

Each semester and summer, students from EMU and partner schools such as Bethel College, Bluffton University, and Goshen College converge at the Nelson Good House in the culturally diverse and multiethnic Brookland neighborhood of Washington D.C. It’s there that they learn to live in a shared community, cooking and eating meals together, managing a collective budget and household responsibilities, and navigating conflict with maturity.

Students gain real-world professional experience in their chosen field of study through internship placements, study the history and social dynamics of the city, and immerse themselves in the rich culture and vibrancy of the nation’s capital.

Baker-Shenk was among the 60 alumni and supporters of the EMU Washington Semester, from its beginnings in the 1970s through today, who gathered at the Busboys and Poets restaurant in Brookland on Saturday, Feb. 14, to share their memories and experiences from their time in the program and celebrate its 50-year legacy. The milestone reunion included remarks from Program Director Ryan Good, EMU Interim President Rev. Dr. Shannon W. Dycus, Provost Dr. Tynisha Willingham, and many students and alumni from the past five decades. 

Since its inception, more than 1,000 students have called the program home for a season of their lives, said Dycus. They’ve taken courses at and built relationships with institutions such as Catholic University of America and Howard University. And students have learned to live with difference, practice shared leadership, and carry conviction into real work.

“We’re celebrating a living, evolving experiment in education,” Dycus told the crowd. “One that has asked generations of students to take learning seriously enough to put it to work. Since 1976, this program has woven together community living, academic study, and vocational reflection right in the complexity of our nation’s capital.”

As the story’s been told, shared Dycus, Nelson Good came to D.C. as a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War era. “And, out of that experience, he helped build a program committed to servant leadership and social justice, and an education shaped by peace, responsibility, and courage to see the city as it is.”

Nelson Good directed the program until his retirement in 1987, mentoring it through major transitions. When the time came to find a new home closer to public transportation and academic partners, he personally helped find and secure the building at 836 Taylor Street that became the Nelson Good House. 

“He did that work even while facing a cancer diagnosis and died a few months before the facility’s dedication (on Aug. 20, 2005),” Dycus said.

Alumni of the EMU Washington Semester gather to celebrate the program’s 50-year legacy.

The EMU Washington Semester offers a built-in social and professional network for its alumni, many of whom find long-term careers in D.C., thanks to the web of connections and relationships they build through the program.

Aerlande Wontamo ’06 was among the first cohort of 15 students to live at the Nelson Good House during the spring of 2006. She interned at the Ethiopian Community Development Council while taking classes at Howard University.

“It was such a meaningful experience for me because I got on (Howard’s) campus and I looked like everybody else,” said Wontamo, who is originally from Ethiopia. “There was another person in our group, I think from Goshen, who was also at Howard, and she was white. We would go to school, and that was the first time she felt like a minority. It was this wonderful experience for both of us.”

Like many alumni of the EMU Washington Semester (it was known as the Washington Community Scholars’ Center or WCSC after 2002), Wontamo stayed in the city. Twenty years later, the economic development grad is still working in the refugee and immigrant services field as senior vice president of U.S. programs for World Relief, a global Christian humanitarian organization.

“It was my internship that was such a meaningful experience for me and led me through all of the steps to get to where I am,” she said. “So, I’m a huge fan of the program.”

Anisa Leonard ’21, a social work grad originally from Kenya, interned at Voices for a Second Chance, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting individuals returning home from incarceration, during her spring 2021 semester in the program.

“The WCSC program was absolutely foundational in getting me to where I am now,” said the social worker. “It sparked my interest in working with people who are marginalized in so many ways, especially in a city so impacted by race and gentrification.”

Genesis Figueroa joined Ryan Good on stage for a conversation, reflecting on her experiences in the program during spring 2025. The EMU senior, who is double majoring in political science and Spanish, interned at Catholic Charities in its immigration legal services department, where she provided translation, interpretation, and administrative work. She said she hopes to become an immigration lawyer.

“It definitely solidified what I want to do after college and what type of work I want to do,” she said. “It solidified my passion for it.”

Another EMU senior, Dia Mekonnen, remembered living at the Nelson Good House with 13 other students during summer 2025. “It was really packed,” she said. “But it was really nice to connect with them. It was nice to cook together, to be able to share our perspectives, and we still hang out.”

Baker-Shenk credited Nelson Good, along with many other heroes, with the courage and vision to implement and sustain the idea of the D.C. program over the years.

“One of the many things he taught me, and it was a little hard for me to take back in the ’70s, was that institutions deserve our love and our commitment and our care,” he said. “Fifty years later, here’s an institution that has carried each of us in this room in one way or another, and it happened because it was nourished and encouraged.”

Kirk Shisler ’81, vice president for advancement, is a proud member of the third cohort of students in the program (1978-79). He told guests there were many ways to support the program. One such opportunity is through the Dr. Kimberly Schmidt Endowed Scholarship, which was dedicated during the program’s on-campus reunion at Homecoming 2025.

“Financial aid is such a critical part of the story for every student, and it’s an obstacle,” he said. “It’s an obstacle to participation in this program and others. And so what we can do to mitigate that through donor-funded aid is an opportunity we want to focus on.”

Learn more about the EMU Washington Semester at .

Read more:

• Sept. 2025: Rebranded EMU Washington Semester celebrates 50 years of career-building and community
• Nov. 2016: Forty years of service and learning celebrated at WCSC’s Nelson Good House
• Aug. 2015: Washington Community Scholars’ Center celebrates 10 years at the Nelson Good House in Brookland
• March 2014: The history of the Washington Community Scholars’ Center

WHEN ML LORMEJUSTE ’25 arrived at the Washington Community Scholars’ Center (WCSC) during the fall of 2024, he admits he wasn’t there to make friends. “I was just there to do what I needed to do and move on,” recalled the public health major. As the semester progressed, Lormejuste was nudged out of his comfort zone by social outings and group activities—and found himself forming close friendships with his eight housemates and discovering the value of community. Reflecting on that semester spent in Washington, DC, he said, “I love that group… They became a part of me.”&�Բ�����;

Lormejuste is one of more than 1,000 students whose lives have been transformed through ���ѱ�’s longest-running intercultural program, which is celebrating its 50th year of connecting students with internships, urban studies coursework, and shared community life. Launched in 1976, the program originally operated as the Washington Study-Service Year (WSSY) until 2002, when it was renamed Washington Community Scholars’ Center (WCSC) as part of a shift from a yearlong format to three shorter terms per year. 

These transitions have allowed the program to stay relevant and responsive. Program staff spent the past two years gathering input for a new name from its alumni, EMU students, and campus faculty and staff stakeholders. In April, the Provost’s Council and President’s Cabinet approved rebranding the program to the EMU Washington Semester. 

The EMU Washington Semester offers fall and spring semester terms and a 10-week summer session. It remains the only urban studies program among Anabaptist-affiliated institutions and draws students from schools across the country, including Bethel College, Bluffton University, Goshen College, and Viterbo University. 

Living, learning, and launching careers

Up to 15 students in the EMU Washington Semester share cooking responsibilities, manage a collective food budget, and work together to maintain their home at the Nelson Good House in the Brookland neighborhood of Northeast DC. Alumni over the past five decades point to their experiences in the program as a highlight of their college careers, if not their lives. 

“I never realized what a great program this was. I learned valuable lessons in adulting, from navigating a large city to living in community,” said Meredith Lehman ’25, ���ѱ�’s first Rhodes Scholar. 

Like many students, her internship paved the way to a future career opportunity. She interned at the Institute for Policy Studies this spring and returned to DC over the summer to work as a fellow at the progressive think tank. “Everyone should do this program, no matter their major,” said Lehman, who double majored in political science and biology. 

Cynthia Lapp ’86, a music education graduate and pastor at Hyattsville Mennonite Church in Maryland, has benefited from the program in multiple ways. She was a student from 1983 to 1984, later served on staff for four years, and continues to support program interns at her church. Many of those interns have gone on to become pastors themselves. 

Lapp said her internship at Elizabeth Seton High School opened the door to a teaching position after college. She added that the program is especially meaningful for students new to community living. “Surrounding ourselves with people from different cultures and backgrounds helps us see beyond the way we think and live, including how our decisions impact those around us.”&�Բ�����;

Some students find their perfect match through the program—not just professionally, but romantically. Alumnus Micah Shristi ’00, an English major who now works as director of International Student Services at EMU, met his wife, Charlotte Gingerich Shristi, a Goshen College alumna, while in the program from 1998 to 1999. Many of his housemates from that year are among his closest friends, including Nathan Musselman ’00, who now lives next door. 

“What’s wild is that there’s another couple from our year,” he said. “Jenelle Hershey ’99 and Keith Hoover ’00 also got married after their time together in the program.”&�Բ�����;

A ‘Good’ start 

In the fall of 1976, a scrappy academic program began immersing students in the cultured community of the nation’s capital. Nelson Good ’68, who came to DC as a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War, founded and directed the program until his retirement in 1987. 

The program, like the city around it, has seen plenty of changes. From the shift to three shorter terms and an accompanying name change in 2002 to a 2005 move from South Dakota Avenue to its current location on Taylor Street, the program has continued to evolve to meet the needs of its students and an ever-changing higher education landscape. 

“The new name more clearly communicates the program as a university-run academic offering, is grounded in the context of our nation’s capital, and is easy to remember and say. It also aligns with common naming conventions used by other universities’ DC-based programs, making it more recognizable regionally and beyond,” said Ryan Good, EMU Washington Semester director and son of the late Nelson Good. 

While evolving, the program has remained committed to supporting students’ personal and career development. Students consistently report leaving the program with improved professional confidence, greater clarity about career direction, more comfort in working with people who are different than they are, and increased awareness of systemic injustices, said Good. 

“Dad would be thrilled to see the ways this program has evolved over the years. Though much has changed, the bones of the program he envisioned remain the same… supporting students as they make sense of who they are in a complex world, both personally and professionally.”&�Բ�����;

Two events will celebrate the program’s 50th anniversary: a reunion during Homecoming 2025 on Saturday, Oct. 11, from 1-3 p.m. in the Student Union, and a spring gathering at the Nelson Good House on Saturday, Feb. 21, from 10 a.m. to noon. 

For more information about the EMU Washington Semester, visit:

This story appears in the Summer 2025 issue of Crossroads magazine.

“This renaming is more than a cosmetic change; it’s a strategic move that enhances clarity and reinforces the direct connection between this transformative experience and ��ݮ����’s mission,” said Provost Tynisha Willingham. “The EMU Washington Semester is a vital extension of our campus, embodying our commitment to preparing students for purposeful lives through experiential learning, critical thinking, and ethical leadership. This new name clearly signals that this immersive experience is unequivocally EMU.”

The rebranding follows two years of work by EMU Washington Semester staff, engaging campus faculty and staff stakeholders, program alums, and current students. The new name aims to support effective marketing by communicating more transparently that the program is a credit-earning academic term run by a university. It additionally aligns with common naming conventions used by other universities’ D.C.-based programs, making it more recognizable within the region.

Launched in 1976, the program originally operated as the Washington Study Service Year (WSSY) until 2002, when it was renamed the Washington Community Scholars’ Center (WCSC) as part of a shift from a year-long format to three shorter terms per year

For the past 50 years, the program has been a cornerstone of experiential learning, offering students opportunities to live, learn, and intern in the nation’s capital. Washington, D.C. serves as a dynamic living laboratory where students engage with policy, advocacy, community development, and justice initiatives, directly applying classroom theory to real-world challenges.

Open to students from EMU and colleges and universities around the world, the EMU Washington Semester offers a full-semester or 10-week summer experience that combines internships, urban studies coursework, career development, and community living in the Nelson Good House in the heart of Washington, D.C. 

The EMU Washington Semester will continue to provide a unique educational experience, empowering students to engage with complex societal issues, develop professional competencies, and cultivate a deeper understanding of their role in contributing to a more just world.

For more information about the program, visit or follow the experiences of current students at .

UPDATE: Read more about WCSC success! Grads Tessa Waidelich and Terry Jones find full-time work after their internships.

The following 14 students, all from EMU, are living together this summer in the Nelson Good House in the Brookland neighborhood. From there, they’ll learn how their academic fields can be applied to the workforce, and explore some of Washington’s cultural and historic attractions.

Lene Andrawas, of Harrisonburg, Va., is a peacebuilding and development major with minors in Spanish and Bible and Religion. This summer, Andrawas is interning at , which runs “Peace Camps” as well as after-school, in-school, and adult programs that impart skills for preventing, resolving, and transforming conflict. 

Lexi Beard, a biology major from Arlington, Va., is an intern with , an organization that rescues and rehabilitates wild animals such as songbirds, possums, squirrels, and ducks. Beard’s responsibilities range from preparing meals for the animal patients, tracking their weights, and cleaning their habitats. 

Myles Crawley, of Dumfries, Va., is a business administration major with a minor in computer science. He’s interning at the , where he’s updating their website with new information on organizations listed in their directory of resources. 

“I like it because it’s geared toward management and I hope to be a leader in some capacity one day,” Crawley said. 

Lesly Garcia, a psychology and writing studies major from Richmond, Va., is an intern with the . The program is a long-term client management intervention model to help disconnected and disengaged youth achieve educational, employment, and healthy living goals. 

Garcia is currently working with high school students, as well as shadowing promotores who do house visitations and organize activities “that benefit the Latinx community and those in need.”

Jaden Jones, of Lancaster, Pa., is an environmental sustainability, political science, and pre-law major. Jones is an intern at , focusing on the connection between climate change and federal policy. 

“I spend most of my time speaking with senators, climate working groups, and representatives in different MCC communities around the globe,” Jones said. “I also will be participating in the filming of a documentary with CNBC about climate migration. My internship will culminate in a policy recommendation memo which will be distributed to MCC’s constituents.”

Terry Jones, a computer science major from Palmyra, Va., is an intern at the Smithsonian Institution’s , where he’s charged with system administration tasks.

“The bulk of my work is troubleshooting, along with being able to talk to the user and walk them step-by-step during that process,” Jones said. “This has helped develop my skills greatly.” 

Philip Krabill of Elkhart, Ind., is a double major in peacebuilding and development and Bible, religion and theology with a minor in honors. Krabill is an intern with Faith in Action’s , a coalition that supports those who “fear being detained, deported, or profiled,” according to their website. Krabill has been preparing meals for and otherwise supporting people who are fasting to lobby Congress to create an easier path to citizenship. 

“Getting to participate in staff meetings with experienced community organizers will help me learn about and develop skills I need for my future,” Krabill said. 

Sara Beth Mumbauer, an elementary education major from Staunton, Va., is an intern at , which organizes, advocates for, and expands opportunities for Latino and immigrant people. Mumbauer’s internship centers around policy issues, and she spends her days writing memos on reports and legal cases that are related to CASA’s work. 

“I think my most significant learning experience will be getting to have discussions with people that are directly affected by the policies of different states and the federal government,” Mumbauer said.

Ignacio Ocaranza, of Highland Springs, Va., is a digital media and communications and photography major. Ocaranza is an intern with , a video production company that offers a variety of creative services. Ocaranza recently finished his first assignment: a short film documenting a day in the life of the company. 

“Getting more hands-on experience with camera work and working in a professional environment will be a great learning experience,” Ocaranza said.

Billy Quinn, of Ashburn, Va., is a marketing major with a minor in business. His internship is at the , where he’s putting together their annual report and assisting with a documentary that will tell the history of the YMCA.

Kayley Scottlind, of Salem, Ore., is majoring in biology and Spanish language and Hispanic studies. Her internship is at , which provides food, clothing, medical care, and legal and social services to low-income residents. Scottlind is conducting patient experience surveys in English and Spanish, assisting with referrals and registration for services, and occasionally interpreting for Spanish-speaking patients.

Chris Simmons, a business administration major from Culpeper, Va., is interning at the city’s , which “supports the development, economic growth, and retention of District-based businesses, and promotes economic development throughout the District’s commercial corridors,” according to their website.

Matthew Troyer, a biochemistry major from Holmes County, Ohio, is an intern at , a residential medical facility that provides comprehensive healthcare for sick homeless persons in the city. Troyer’s responsibilities are to provide companionship for patients, escort them to and from appointments, raise funds, and communicate with donors. 

“I anticipate that understanding the health implications of homelessness and better understanding some of the social determinants of health will be my most significant learning experience,” he said.

Tessa Waidelich, a computer science major from Pettisville, Ohio, is an intern at , which provides technological support for nonprofit organizations. There, she’s doing computer system maintenance and “playing with firewalls.” 

“It sounds like I’ll be getting a little bit of everything,” Waidelich said. Soon, “I will be working directly with one of Community IT’s clients on site! It is a public charter school, and I will be setting up new computers for the upcoming school year.”

A city divided, Washington D.C. is at once violent and magnificent. Its political and cultural institutions attract politicians, academicians, artists, and immigrants. Rhythm and color from around the globe embellish Washington’s streets and invigorate its neighborhoods.

Thus begins the syllabus of “Servant Leadership in the Urban Setting” taught by Professor Kimberly Schmidt, who recently announced her retirement after serving as director of ��ݮ����’s Washington Community Scholars’ Center (WCSC) for 22 years.

In that time she’s helped to foster the interests and careers of countless EMU students, many of whom have left the program and the city with a unique and life-changing understanding of sociocultural dynamics and the legacy of history. 

Besides the many programmatic and facility changes she engineered over the years, Schmidt is known among colleagues and former students for her relationship with the city itself, as evidenced by the intimate way in which she writes about it. One way she shared that relationship with her students was through historical walking tours – leading them down city streets and narrating the monuments, architecture, and murals they passed by.

“These experiences always focused on how the interrelated dynamics of race, gender, and class shaped the city’s polarities and disparities,” Schmidt explained. 

Sabrina Tusing ’07, now a librarian with the Oregon City Public Library, remembers these tours fondly. 

“I recall walking through Dupont Circle and learning about the life of Washington-born musician Duke Ellington and visiting a neighborhood to study architecture and artwork of the Langston Terrace Dwellings,” Tusing said. “My understanding of and appreciation for Washington D.C. was greatly enriched by the knowledge and passion shared by Kim.”

Chelsea Brubaker ’21, who was an intern at WCSC last fall, agreed.

“I would always have some sort of question about architecture or our destination, and she would always launch into a detailed explanation,” Brubaker said. “The conversations were fascinating. Kim was also unbelievably understanding in her own way, always making sure that the students were taken care of and that they were faring as well as they could be in the midst of a pandemic.”

The city has changed dramatically since WCSC’s inception. It’s gotten larger. What was formerly a majority Black population has become about evenly split between Black and white residents. It’s become wealthier, too, often at the expense of pricing out its longstanding citizens of color. Schmidt never shied away from teaching her students the difficult truths about the city’s history and character alongside its achievements.

“As a teacher Kim was always creative and shared a wealth of knowledge,” said former assistant director Doug Hertzler ‘88, who’s now a senior policy analyst with ActionAid. “History and its atrocities and struggles for redemption are a lot closer to us than we think and we make history everyday. Thank you, Kimberly, for all the history made and uncovered.” 

In a farewell address during Schmidt’s retirement celebration, Hertzler added that without her leadership, “EMU would probably not have a program in Washington D.C. today.” 

Indeed, Schmidt was hired in 1999 “to revitalize the program and to put the ‘study’ back into the ‘study-service year,’” she said. Then called the Washington Study Service Year – fondly known by its acronym “WSSY,” pronounced just as it’s spelled – the program ran one nine-month term each year.

Schmidt, an alumnus of Bethel College who earned her doctorate in American history at Binghamton University, was then a mother of two young children. With a special interest in Amish and Mennonite women’s history, she had previously taught American studies at University of Maryland – College Park. 

“The WSSY program was, as one local board member put it, ‘withering on the vine,'” recalled Schmidt. It was underfunded to the point that faculty worked in a garage with no heating or running water.

She set to revitalizing the program from top to bottom, including adding or revitalizing MOUs with Bluffton, Bethel and Goshen (Regis was added in 2015) and reconfiguring offerings into fall, spring, and summer terms. Schmidt developed seminar and servant leadership classes and cultivated relationships with high-profile internship hosts and other universities.

“I made it into a kind of a game to see if I could secure internships for WCSC students at institutions with worldwide reputations,” Schmidt said. It was well worth the effort – students have been placed at the Smithsonian Institution, National Institutes of Health, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and on Capitol Hill. 

“It’s been especially gratifying to place students in internships where mentors are former WCSC students,” she said. “This little scrappy program and our students have held our own in this competitive, big city environment.”

Schmidt also orchestrated the renovation of and move to the building on Taylor Street where WCSC is still housed. The previous house on South Dakota Avenue was “dilapidated,” and in violation of D.C.’s building code, she explained. Schmidt worked with WSSY founder Nelson Good to fundraise money for the new property, and with architect David Conrad to construct a house whose very design would promote community-building. 

“The mortgage was paid off last fall and EMU now owns a strategically-located building within a 10-minute walk of the metro,” said Schmidt. 

Following the success of that endeavor, she was emboldened to start a new campaign to fund scholarships for commuter students of color.

WCSC will continue under the leadership of Professor Ryan Good, who has been with the program since 2017 and co-directed the program with Schmidt for the past two years. 

“Kim’s vision for the transformative power of internships, community living, and immersive experiences outside your comfort zone has changed the lives of hundreds of students over the past two decades,” said Good. “Her leadership through the transformation of the program to three terms per year and the acquisition of the Nelson Good House paved the way for a new and vibrant chapter in the program’s history. She has been a tireless defender of this program; the WCSC will lose a champion when Kim retires.”

After 22 years of growth, stress, and success, Schmidt is ready for the next chapter of her life. She’ll stay in touch with students and with teaching as the leader of a summer 2022 cross-cultural focused on “A Women’s West: Native American Women’s History and Culture.”

Otherwise, she says “my options are open.”&�Բ�����;

This scholar will not stop researching, writing, and sharing. Among her career highlights at EMU was co-chairing with colleague Mary Sprunger the 2017 conference “Crossing The Line: Women of Anabaptist Traditions Encounter Borders and Boundaries.” This role was a reprisal of another important contribution she made, co-chairing the committee which hosted a 1995 conference at Millersville University, the first to focus on the history of women of Anabaptist tradition. 

Schmidt is a co-editor of “” and the author of the WILLA Literary Award finalist “Magpie’s Blanket.”&�Բ�����;

She already has one new book manuscript currently under peer review by a Southern Cheyenne cultural consultant, and two journal articles forthcoming on topics of women’s history and gender theory. And she’s just gearing up.

“I want to take a year to write the next (fourth) book and then after that I’m open to possibilities,” Schmidt said. “Memories of leading walking tours, interactions with students, the overseas opportunities, and the professional relationships with folks across the spectrum of work in DC and at EMU is what I will carry with me as I leave.”

“Community organizing is fundamentally a project of power-building within and among groups of people marginalized from existing power structures,” says Professor Ryan Good, co-director of the Washington Community Scholars’ Center (WCSC). Starting this fall, students at ��ݮ���� (EMU) will be able to study community organizing and community development through the new minor that Good championed. 

Students who are interested in community-based work, social and racial justice, activism, or a career in the nonprofit and social services sector will find this minor to provide skills and analytical frameworks complementing many professions. The minor may be useful to those pursuing majors in business and leadership; Bible, religion and theology; peacebuilding and development; political science; psychology; recreation and sport management; social work and sociology.

“Community organizing has been part of significant reforms and a variety of social movements in the U.S. going back more than 100 years.  Organizers may work with faith-based groups or with other types of organizations, such as schools or labor associations,” says Professor Jenni Holsinger, director of EMU’s sociology program in which the minor is housed. “For many students, it’s exciting to learn about new ways to help their own communities and to find hope, and possible career paths, in the work that has been done before and is being done now.”  

The minor consists of 18 credit hours, completed through three classes and an internship, plus two elective courses. One introductory course covering the history, theories, and tactics of organizing in the United States since the early 20th century is offered on the Harrisonburg campus, while the two other required courses and the internship are fulfilled during participation in the WCSC fall or spring semester program. The minor is situated within the Sociology program.

WCSC, located in Washington D.C. since 1976, is a program of ��ݮ���� (EMU) and is open to students from other schools, including Bethel College in Kansas and Bluffton University in Ohio, who regularly send students. The program has a strong history of placing student interns with nonprofits that mobilize community action, work to meet local needs, and advocate for social policies that support local communities, for example, the and the .

Social work major Reh Franklin is a current intern at DC Central Kitchen, a nonprofit and social enterprise that combats hunger and poverty through job training and job creation. Franklin’s projects this semester include co-facilitating group therapy sessions, creating data tracking tools for mapping the cost effectiveness of corner store programs, and creating and distributing surveys related to food equity, access, and justice.

Last fall, Sophia Minder, a social work major at Bethel College, interned with the Congregation Action Network, working with area congregations to “bring awareness to immigration issues through organizing actions and meetings with legislators.”

“Many EMU graduates seek employment in the U.S. nonprofit and social services sector,” Good said. “At a moment when the role of geography in driving and reproducing polarization and structural inequality in the U.S. has been made dramatically evident, a minor focused on place-based analysis, practice, and action will feel timely and relevant to many students.”

WCSC’s network of contacts and organizations within community organizing and development is broad. Specific examples of potential internship sites include:

• CASA de Maryland
• Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development
• Common Good City Farm
• Community of Hope
• Congregation Action Network
• DC Central Kitchen
• Empower DC
• Latin American Youth Center
• MANNA, Inc.
• Mary’s Center
• ONE DC
• Sitar Arts Center
• THEARC
• Washington Area Community Investment Fund

The program, in Washington D.C. since 1976, provides students with professional internships in fields from youth work to immigration services to health care. It is also a “community-building endeavor,” with students living together in the Nelson Good House in the Brookland neighborhood of Northeast Washington D.C. They explore Washington’s cultural and historic attractions, and learn about urban issues such as gentrification.

“WCSC has long-term connections and a history of successful placements with many area organizations,” said co-director Kimberly Schmidt. “We are one of the few liberal arts universities with dedicated buildings and a local staff, which shows a real commitment to offering this kind of resume-building and urban cultural experience to students in all academic programs.”

WCSC also has cooperative agreements with Mennonite-affiliated “sister schools” and welcomes applications from Goshen College and Fresno Pacific University students.

This semester, nine EMU, one Bluffton and two Bethel students are enrolled. They and their placements include:

Caitlin Campbell, an accounting major from Chester Gap, Virginia, is interning at the , which provides an array of programming for low-income youth, supporting their transition to adulthood 

Brenda Miramontes, a social work major from Harrisonburg, Virginia, is interning at , which offers legal, social and language services to immigrants in Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia.

Alyssa Gore, a business administration and accounting major from Virginia Beach, Virginia, is interning with the finance department at the .

Mia Swartley, a social work major from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is interning at , which focuses on the provision of direct legal immigration services to foreign-born individuals and their families.

Clarkson Wolfe, a liberal arts major and psychology minor from Staunton, Virginia, is interning at , which works to end torture around the world and empower survivors in the DC area. 

Sarah Balzer, a Bethel social work major from Inman, Kansas, is interning at Faith in Action’s , a network of congregations in the region that provide support and solidarity to neighbors, friends, and family who fear being detained, deported or profiled.

Akiyaa Hagen-Depusoir, a Bethel social work, history and political science major from McPherson, Kansas, is interning at which provides a holistic, research-based continuum of academic, youth development, and basic needs supports designed to empower children

Tajah Miller, a social work major from Waynesboro, Virginia, is interning at , providingcomprehensive and compassionate health care to homeless men.

Grant Amoateng, a social work major from Bristow, Virginia, is interning at , which offers peace education, group activities and a safe environment away from violent surroundings for children.

Bruce Cypress, an interdisciplinary music major from Harrisonburg, Virginia, is interning at , where he’ll work with theater sound technicians on Mosaic’s Main Stage shows.

Miguelina Montiel De La Cruz, a nursing major from Charlottesville, Virginia, is interning at ,  which provides health and mental health services to low-income Latinx and Spanish-speaking immigrants

Sam Krizek, a Bluffton writing major from Columbia Station, Ohio, is interning at , which creates content in print, film, theater, photography, audio, illustration and more, all for the purpose of providing economic opportunity for and elevating the voices of people experiencing homelessness.

Miller would know. His first internship turned into his first full-time job.

Now director of development and communications at (known as Wacif, pronounced Way-kif), Miller developed a summer project that matched the skills of intern Austin Hart with the organization’s ongoing needs for market analysis.

Hart, a senior business administration and marketing major at ��ݮ����, is the second (WCSC) student  to intern at Wacif.

“Washington D.C. is a great location for business administration, accounting, marketing and related majors to find internships that suit their professional goals,” said WCSC Director Kimberly Schmidt.

This summer, five other students in business-related majors participated in the program:

• Tariq Caldwell, a business administration major with a human resources management minor from Mechanicsville, Virginia, interned with . He worked in construction project management for the nonprofit affordable housing developer.
• Jazmine Carter, a business administration major with a human resources minor from Fairfax, Virginia, was an assistant in human resources at the headquarters of the , helping to prepare presentations and briefings.
• Joshua Ehlers, an accounting and business administration major from Bluffton University and Defiance, Ohio, worked at , a nonprofit that provides financial literacy and education for low-income D.C. residents.
• Jack Leyda, a business administration and accounting major from Atlanta, Georgia, assisted the CFO at , a public charter school for adults.
• Brianna Zook, a kinesiology and exercise science major with coaching and business administration minors from Harrisonburg, Virginia, interned at .

Studies in D.C. public policy connect to students’ home communities

Vocational guidance and career development is one goal of the WCSC program, which provides programming in fall, spring and summer semesters to students from EMU and other partner schools.

Before even arriving in Washington D.C., accepted students develop their resumes, discuss their professional interests, explore possible internship sites remotely  and participate in phone interviews – a process aided by Schmidt; Professor Ryan Good, assistant director; and program assistant Karlyn Gehring.

The Nelson Good House in the Brookland neighborhood provides accommodations and communal living space, as well as a classroom where students take academic seminars in urban studies and servant leadership – courses which engage students as empowered citizens and future professionals.

“We use this urban environment to help students critically engage ideas of identity, belonging and displacement,” Good said. “We explore how patterns of inequality and development here in Washington, DC affect local communities — and are connected to issues facing the communities our students call home.”

Gaining market analysis skills

During his time at Wacif, Hart went from knowing very little about grants and funding streams to a growing knowledge about how to analyze opportunities in terms of human resource allocation and the potential benefits to business owners and entrepreneurs served by the organization, which promotes equity and economic opportunity in underserved neighborhoods in Washington D.C.

“We had a specific need for this kind of market analysis to inform our development and community strategy over the next few years,” Miller said. “So in this context, that meant applying set criteria to large amounts of data, identifying potential grants that might fit with our organization, making recommendations and getting past obstacles to look for alternate sources of information.”

Hart’s performance on the large and complex project eventually earned accolades from the organization’s top leadership, Miller said, and an honorary place in the “intern hall of fame.”

For his part, Hart appreciated the opportunity to grow as both a person and a professional, and says that the internship has helped him better visualize what future work environment he can see himself in.

Now as he looks for full-time work, Hart has a resume bolstered by his recent internship.

“I’m hopeful,” he says, “that this experience shows to prospective employers that I can step into a position and be successful.”

“There were definitely some lingering questions I had about whether I would be happy doing this in the future,” said Wesp, who juggled the change of major along with his commitment to the EMU Royals baseball team.

It didn’t take long though, once he arrived at ���ѱ�’s Washington Community Scholars’ Center this summer for a 10-week internship with IT firm Tech Impact to see those doubts disappear. Wesp will return for his senior year at EMU with the confidence that the IT field is indeed where his passions and talents lie.

That’s good news for Professor Kimberly Schmidt, who advised Wesp through the internship process, from the application and interview stages in the spring before he even arrived in Washington D.C. through the first hectic weeks of acclimation.

“Riley had a very successful internship and I’m thrilled,” Schmidt said. “His experience strengthens the partnership between Tech Impact and the WCSC.  I look forward to future placements with Tech Impact.”

Working with an EMU alumnus

is one of several companies that have hosted WCSC students for internships in the IT field. In fact, Wesp’s supervisor for the summer was Francis Johnson, a 2007 graduate who also interned at Tech Impact while in the WCSC program. “I came here and never left,” he joked.

Johnson, now based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is Tech Impact’s director of technology services.

The company began in 2003 as a partnership between Microsoft and several foundations to provide IT support for nonprofit clients. From several locations around the country, network technicians and staff help with an array of problems, from troubleshooting to general maintenance. The company also has several successful workforce training programs.

Over the summer, Wesp experienced the entire range of ways that technicians interact with clients from providing consultations by phone and Skype, to routing in remotely or making on-site visits.

A self-proclaimed “outgoing guy,” Wesp says he didn’t have any challenges with those interactions, but benefited from learning and practicing communication skills in a professional environment.

In just a short time, Wesp says he’s acquired “a ton” of new knowledge and the confidence to pursue both his final year of studies and a future in the profession.

“Working here has solidified that this is what I want to do in the future,” Wesp said. “I’ve loved it here and I’ve loved the people I’ve worked with. Every day, I learn something new. Now I can definitely see myself doing this 20 years down the road.”

Vocational guidance

The WCSC program is one way of fulfilling ���ѱ�’s cross-cultural requirement, but students also complete 14 units on topics related to vocational preparation and urban studies. Schmidt, along with Professor Ryan Good, teach courses and also mentor students in their new workplace environment. Program Assistant Karlyn Gehring is also an important contributor to day-to-day operations.

“One of our program goals is supporting the internship experience by facilitating reflection and engagement around where students want to go professionally, how they can get there, and what values they want to have shape those decisions,” Good said.

Wesp says he’s “definitely grown as a person,” stretched by the challenges of living with 13 other students in the Nelson Good House. Sharing a room with another student, and living with 11 more, has pushed him towards a greater awareness of what living in community means.

“I’ve really learned to pay attention, to work at understanding what people need and want so it can be better situation for all of us,” he said. One lasting memory, he said, is the two-day program retreat to Harper’s Ferry – a time to relax away from the city and “bond together” in ways he hadn’t expected.

A complete list of summer 2018 participants is here.

The 44-year-old bilingual producer collaborates with young, talented and eager consultants to create products for diverse clientele, from consulting groups, corporations and businesses to nonprofits such as the Latino Economic Development Center, the Avance Center, and the Alzheimer’s Association.

Mentoring young people, especially those with interest and aspirations in digital media, has always been important to Villalba, from his initial work as a youth substance abuse counselor to his current communications business.

“A long time ago, someone asked me what my best job would be and I said, ‘working with young people and making films,’ and here I am years later” he said. “I opened myself up to the universe and the universe has blessed me.”

Connecting with Villalba has also been a blessing for ��ݮ����’s Washington Community Scholars’ Center (WCSC), says program director Kimberly Schmidt.

The WCSC program hosts students in the fall, spring and summer from EMU and partnering institutions. Students gain work experience in internships at sites located around the city while earning a full course load of credits, engaging with urban culture and history and living together in an intentional community.

Read more about WCSC summer 2018 participants.

“With a growing number of visual and communication arts majors participating in our program and looking for quality internships with supervisors who provide mentorship and support, we have benefited immensely from Ricardo’s willingness to invite our students into his work,” she said. “He serves diverse communities and those interactions provide valuable learning experiences for our students.”

Practicing diverse production skills

Julian Bussells, a senior digital media major at EMU, was the latest student to benefit from an internship with the company. He had a wide range of responsibilities, including “going out to events to shoot video, editing videos to specifications, and also building and updating websites,” he said. “Sometimes the work was overwhelming because there was a bunch of tasks, but I have enjoyed the challenge.”

During this summer’s WCSC program, two other students participated in related internships. Rances Rodriguez was a documentary photographer and videographer for the, which offers arts education to several hundred low-income K-12 students through a wide array of programming. Stephen Sheppard, a double-major in digital media and business administration, created and taught design and photography projects in support of a youth summer arts and peacebuilding program at the (LAYC).

Interns at all three sites experienced cross-cultural immersion in their professional environments, working with participants and clientele, Schmidt said. Both Washington Digital Media and LAYC organizations serve predominantly Latinx populations, while Sitar serves low-income students from diverse populations. “These are valuable cross-cultural immersion experiences,” she said.

Villalbas, Bussell’s supervisor at Washington Digital Media, also has strong connections to LAYC, where Sheppard interned.

What one may think of an unlikely place for one’s talents to emerge is actually “where the universe opens doors,” Villalbas says. He benefited as a high school student from LAYC programs and later returned there as a substance abuse counselor. That position led to a creative public-service-style, youth-oriented video series and later a fundraising video for LAYC, both of which circulated to some notoriety and eventually led to his current business.

Bussells’ experience at Washington Digital Media has confirmed his future career choice (his dream job is to work on movie sets) and helped to give him an idea of working with and for clients – quite a different experience than producing a finished product for a grade, he said. “I’ve enjoyed doing meaningful projects for paying clients, which has given me an idea of what it takes to succeed in the video production business.”

Fun with young artists, photobombs and earning trust

Rodriguez spent his 10-week internship hustling around the center, dodging musical instruments, dancers, singers, paintbrushes and even other digital cameras, as he sought to document the Sitar Center’s ambitious summer programming. Once the children got to know him, they were eager to share their creations, to pose for photos and sometimes even – of course – photobombs.

“I’ll take a group photo and there will always be this one kid making a silly face and I’ll have to say, ‘ok, one more,’” Rodriguez said.

He’s also collected footage chronicling the mural arts program and its participants, as well as the center’s annual musical production (this year, it was “Seussical”) that his supervisor says will be used for fundraising and recruitment efforts.

Storytelling is his passion, Rodriguez says, and he has enjoyed learning how to work with people, in this case kids, to get the most authentic images that will tell a powerful narrative – a skill he’ll take back to EMU with him for his senior year, and beyond.

A campus culture that “respects students’ right to protest” – that nurtures both students and the social movements they create, and embraces student activism as being the result of new knowledge at the core of liberation – benefits the entire community, said Hinojosa, a professor of history at Texas A & M. In their activism, students think critically, lead outside the classroom, practice civic engagement, and develop a greater sense of social responsibility.

Hinojosa’s August 14 address on the conference theme of “Being or Becoming a Third Way University” began the two-day event’s broader discussions around campus engagement, civic collaboration and diversity and inclusion, goals that are articulated in the university’s strategic plan.

“Dr. Hinojosa’s address was a helpful invitation as we anticipate the return of students to campus,” said Provost Fred Kniss. “Cultivating students’ abilities to engage with the world is central to our mission, and as an institution we can also learn from their desires for change.”

Conferences an annual tradition

���ѱ�’s faculty-staff conferences bookend each academic year, with the fall event providing gathering in fellowship and renewal of the community’s common purpose and goals.

Braydon Hoover, director of development and annual giving and frequent conference emcee, pointed out that common vision in his welcome: “We’re all here for the exact same purpose … to prepare every single one of our students to distinctively serve and lead in a global context,” he said. “Whether you coach on the grass or you cut it, whether you teach 18-year-olds or students a little older, whether you work remotely or right here on campus, whether you took a break this summer or work diligently all year round, and even whether you hail from the titular religious tradition or another completely different, we – all of us – are EMU.”

The event included workshop sessions, worship and fellowship opportunities, and what’s become an annual favorite, “Storytelling,” featuring members of the campus community sharing about their journeys to, towards or within the EMU community. Fall storytellers included professors Johonna Turner and Esther Tian; Jasmine Hardesty, director of development and planned giving; and Scott Barge, vice president of institutional effectiveness.

The event was also a forum for announcements about the upcoming academic year, including the observance of MLK Day with extensive service and learning opportunities replacing scheduled classes.

Keynote speaker calls for empowering synergy

Hinojosa knows what it means to envision a different university. While a student at Fresno Pacific University in California, he joined student movements to encourage the hiring of more diverse faculty and expansion of the curriculum and academic programs.

“How could a university in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, surrounded by a large Latinx population and located in an area that gave birth to the greatest and most successful farm workers civil rights movement, not teach a course on this?” he said.

The synergy between his own student activism and intellectual engagement – the “growth of political consciousness and understanding of history,” his own and his people’s – was both personally empowering and beneficial to the campus community.

Now a tenured professor of history at Texas A&M University, Hinojosa also directs the history department’s undergraduate studies and is co-founder and co-director of the Latina/o Studies Working Group sponsored by the Melbern G. Glasscock Center for Humanities Research.

Sharing his pedagogical philosophy that asks “So what? Now what?” with his students in courses about social movements, Latinx history, gender, comparative race and ethnicity, Hinojosa has become a resource, guide and mentor to diverse student activists.

This role – and the work of activism itself – is “messy” and “chaotic,” but “more important than ever,” he said.

In considering the role of the “third way university,” Hinojosa noted the history of socially progressive Christians. While “distorted forms of Christianity got the most play,” they quietly went to work in communities around the world.

“A third way university must build on this radical tradition,” he said.

In response to a question from Director of Multicultural Services Celeste Thomas, Hinojosa elaborated on additional ways of supporting black and brown students in the predominantly white university setting: listening to the voices and perspectives of marginalized students, hiring diverse and/or culturally competent faculty and staff, providing safe community spaces for these students, and prioritizing issues and the history of diverse communities in curriculum and academic programs.

Beyond the keynote

Afternoon breakout sessions offered faculty and staff opportunities to learn more about distinctive programs that link to core values of ���ѱ�’s mission and vision.  

Various restorative justice initiatives and programs were highlighted in a special session hosted by professors Johonna Turner and Carl Stauffer, who co-direct the housed in the . Jon Swartz, associate dean of students, talked about restorative justice as it relates to the campus community and highlighted the growth, and growing interest, in RJ-related trainings. Meg Sanders, director of ���ѱ�’s Graduate Teacher Education program, spoke about the new master’s degree and graduate certificate in restorative justice, as well as the integration of RJ principles and practices into professional training courses offered by the university.

Director Kimberly Schmidt presented on the , ���ѱ�’s Washington D.C.-based program offering cross-cultural urban studies, internship and community living experience. She was joined by Associate Director Ryan Good and Program Assistant Karlyn Gehring.

Doug Graber Neufeld presented on the , a collaborative initiative of ��ݮ����, Goshen College and Mennonite Central Committee to lead Anabaptist efforts to respond to the challenges of climate change. Neufeld, a biology professor at EMU, directs the center.

“I’ll see you later today,” she promises a woman in a wheelchair.

“Have you been knitting? Are you ready for class?” she says a few minutes later to another, then confides that she’s recently met the woman’s daughter, who came on a special visit just to meet her.

Gallagher’s 10-week internship is just one aspect of summer participation at the Washington Community Scholars’ Center (WCSC), a program also offered during fall and spring semesters by ��ݮ���� (EMU). Bluffton University students share a house in Washington D.C. with students from EMU and other partner universities, take a full load of coursework, explore life in the nation’s capital, and delve into a chosen professional field.

The program has been in Washington D.C. since 1976. Some internship sites have partnered with EMU since that time and those internships have often led to both job opportunities after graduation and even career positions.

“Historically, social work majors have been the bread and butter of the WCSC,” says Director Kimberly Schmidt. “We have expanded and have strong options for students from other majors but even I find the sheer breadth of our social work practicum site options a little staggering.”

WCSC faculty and staff lay important groundwork before and during the internship, talking with both the student and the supervisor about internship and career goals to ensure the time in Washington is well-spent. The topic of career development is also considered in a course titled “Servant Leadership in the Urban Setting” that helps students consider their future profession in terms of their personal values and faith.

Students benefit from career development guidance

When she first applied to WCSC, Gallagher worked with program assistant Karlyn Gehring to develop her resume, then with advisor Professor Ryan Good to find the right internship site. Good and Schmidt help walk students through the application and interview process for internships before they arrive, and then offer vocational guidance throughout the summer.

Gallagher, a psychology and sociology major from , had worked as a hospitality aide for a year and half at a smaller facility back home in Marengo, Ohio, and was seriously considering a career in geriatrics.

Carroll Manor is a large nursing and rehabilitation facility that serves approximately 240 clients, “mostly low-income seniors of color, a population reflective of demographics in northeast D.C.,” Schmidt says.

Working at a large-scale facility like Carroll Manor has helped confirm what kind of work environment Gallagher prefers – “smaller is better,” she said, “because I want more time to get to know people” – and a possible next move.

At Carroll Manor, her supervisor was one of five licensed social workers in the entire facility – and Gallagher says she observed that the certification, and eventually the earning of a master’s in social work degree, would create more possibilities and options for her future.

“I’m seriously thinking about social work licensure,” she said, when asked about her next steps. “And possibly going to graduate school after I gain some experience.”

Supervisor Vickie Merlo had only good things to say about Gallagher. Working in a facility that serves elderly and infirm residents, some of whom suffer from dementia, is a challenging environment that requires empathy, flexibility and patience.

Gallagher radiates calmness and confidence in her interactions with patients. “Her enthusiasm and just general good spirits are a real asset here,” Merlo said. “We have certain patients who have problems with dementia and behavior who take lots of attention, and Shanon has been a godsend. She’s excellent at approaching people and saying hello and introducinge herself; she just warms up to people easily.”

Intern finds her niche

That trust has resulted in an internship that provided plenty of space for Gallagher to find her niche, which has included one-on-one time with special residents needing more attention, some paperwork duties and the planning and implementation of activities, among other responsibilities.

Even though she has little experience with knitting, Gallagher started the Maple Way Floor Six Crochet Club, which meets twice a week for about an hour. To do that, she found a local expert:  “There’s a lady who really knows what she’s doing, so I’ve pulled her in and asked her to help and I just figure it out along with everyone else,” Gallagher said.

Both Merlo and Gallagher hope the crochet club continues after her internship concludes, but without the cheerful presence of this young intern, that might be tough.

“I’m definitely going to miss this place when this is over,” Gallagher said. “Leaving is going to be tough.”

 

And on the way, they caught a bit of the excitement around the Stanley Cup playoffs and the hometown hopes for the Washington Capitals.

A semester in the capital, whether in summer, spring or fall, always offers “amazing opportunities,” says Professor Kimberly Schmidt, program director.“This program combines on-the-job experience in the field as well as a rich cultural and urban experience, and the fun of exploring the city on your own with friends.”

At the heart of the WCSC program are professional internships in a variety of settings where students make positive contributions to the community and gain vocational direction. But students also get to experience city life, explore Washington’s cultural and historic attractions, learn about urban issues such as gentrification, and manage a house budget and relationships in the communal living environment of the Nelson Good House.

The program has been in Washington D.C. since 1976. Some internship sites have partnered with EMU since that time. Read more about WCSC history.

Many WCSC participants have been asked to return after their internships for part-time or full-time work. Here are a few examples:

• MANNA brings back Jonathan Nicely ’17,
• L’Arche invites Mandi Stoll ’15 to return,
• Financial Education and Literacy Associates hire Stephen Quenzer and Joel Murray in 2014, and
• a compilation of several EMU alumni who benefited from their WCSC internship experience.

WCSC draws students from ��ݮ���� and Bluffton University but has cooperative agreements with EMU’s Mennonite-affiliated “sister schools” and welcomes applications from Goshen, Bethel and Fresno-Pacific students.

The summer term ends Aug. 3.

Summer 2018 participants

Julian Bussells, a digital media major and journalism minor from Linden, Virginia, is at , which offers a range of video services for corporate and nonprofit clients.

Tariq Caldwell, a business administration major with a human resources management minor from Mechanicsville, Virginia, is interning with . He is working in construction project management for the nonprofit affordable housing developer.

Jazmine Carter, a business administration major with a human resources minor from Fairfax, Virginia, is interning as an assistant in the human resources headquarters, helping to prepare presentations and briefings.

Joshua Ehlers, an accounting and business administration major from Bluffton University and Defiance, Ohio, is working at , a nonprofit that provides financial literacy and education for low-income D.C. residents.

Shanon Gallagher, a psychology and sociology major from Bluffton University and Marengo, Ohio, is interning at , which provides mental health support in a nursing and rehabilitation home for the elderly.

Austin Hart, a business administration major from Manheim, Pennsylvania, is working at Washington Area Community Investment Fund (WACIF), a community investment fund. With a specific interest in marketing, Austin is working with the communications and marketing director.  Read more about student experiences at WACIF.

Jack Leyda, a business administration and accounting major from Atlanta, Georgia, is assisting the CFO at , a public charter school for adults.

Whitney Ricker, a geographic science major from James Madison University, is participating in a program through the , an EMU affiliate. She is interning at .

Rances Rodriguez, a digital media and photography major from Harrisonburg, Virginia, is with , teaching digital media, design and photography to low-income students in a diverse neighborhood.

Stephen Sheppard, a digital media major and business administration minor from Sterling, Virginia, is at the , creating and teaching design and photography projects in support of a youth summer arts and peacebuilding program.

Also at the YMCA  of Metropolitan Washington is Myneshia Walker, a sociology major and coaching minor from Freeman, Virginia. She is working in summer recreation programs with youth at various sites around the city.

Riley Wesp, a computer science major and business administration minor from Virginia Beach, Virginia, is interning at , which provides IT support for area nonprofit clients.

Brianna Zook, a major in kinesiology and exercise science with coaching and business administration majors, is interning at . She is from Harrisonburg, Virginia.

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• Summer 2017
• Fall 2017
• Spring 2018: fitting students with the right internships